A central square and park in Istanbul erupted Tuesday and into Wednesday in an unsettling, chaotic chorus, with tear gas canisters and water cannons from police met by fireworks, metal banging and defiant chanting from protesters.

The drama followed an ebb and flow of demonstrators all day from the Turkish city's Taksim Square and the abutting Gezi Park, where they've camped out for days,in response to the actions of riot police.

It is all a continuation of demonstrations that first focused on the environment -- opposition to a plan to build a mall at the park -- but has evolved into a crusade against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's allegedly authoritarian ways.

On Tuesday, just before planned talks between Erdogan and protest organizers, there was no obvious resolution in sight. Certainly, neither side backed down in the latest round of clashes.

Time and again, once the situation appeared to settle down, it flared up again. Right after midnight, for instance, government forces shot water cannons toward the park and toward streets adjacent to the square, and boom after boom of tear gas being fired could be heard.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks to the deputies of his ruling Justice and Development Party during a meeting with Turkish parliament on Tuesday, June 18. Erdogan said he had no intention of restricting anyone's democratic rights. "If you want to make a protest do it, do it, but do it within the framework of law," he said.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Turkish performance artist Erdem Gunduz, center, is joined by others as he makes his silent protest in Taksim Square. As word of his gesture of protest spread, Gunduz became known as the "standing man." Protests that began as a demonstration against the planned demolition of a park have grown into general anti-government dissent across the nation.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – People carry the coffin of Ethem Sarisuluk, who was killed during recent protests in Turkey, on Sunday, June 16, in Ankara.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Tens of thousands attend a rally to hear Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan speak in Istanbul on June 16, a day after he ordered a crackdown on anti-government protesters at Gezi Park.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – A protester faces water cannons during a clash with police at an anti-government demonstration in Ankara on June 16.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Police walk through tear gas during protests at Kizilay Square in central Ankara on June 16.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Police detain protesters after a crackdown on a demonstration at Istanbul's Gezi Park on June 16.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – A protester runs during clashes between riot police and demonstrators in the streets adjacent to Taksim Square in Istanbul on Sunday, June 16.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – A protester throws a tear gas canister back at riot police during clashes near Taksim Square on June 16.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Trash containers burn in front of riot police forces in Ankara, Turkey, on June 16.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters gather in the main shopping street near Taksim Square in the early morning hours of June 16 as riot police clear Gezi Park in Istanbul.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Turkish riot police officers use rubber bullets on June 15 to disperse demonstrators in Gezi Park in Istanbul on June 15.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters scramble for safety as Turkish riot police officers push them out of Gezi Park using tear gas and rubber bullets.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters run for cover as riot police spray them with a water cannon on June 15.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – A protester throws rocks at police during clashes at the entrance of Gezi Park on June 15.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – A protester on June 15, reacts in pain to a salvo of tear gas fired by Turkish riot police chasing out demonstrators in order to dismantle their tent camp in Gezi Park in Istanbul.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Riot police move in a line through the tent camp on June 15.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters escape from tear gas during the crackdown at Gezi Park on June 15.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Protestors fire fireworks as police drive them out of Gezi Park on June 15.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters sleep in Gezi Park in Istanbul's Taksim Square early Thursday, June 13. Turkey's prime minister on Thursday called on protesters camped out in the park to pack up and leave.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – A man plays piano for hundreds of protesters in Taksim Square on Wednesday, June 12, in Istanbul.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – A man waves a flag in Taksim Square on June 12.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – A man sleeps in Gezi Park in Istanbul's Taksim Square early on June 12, hours after riot police moved into the square in an attempt to push demonstrators out.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Municipal workers clean up a street in Taksim Square early on June 12, after police moved in to disperse protesters.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – A protester prepares to throw a tear gas canister back toward police in Taksim Square on Tuesday, June 11.

Demonstrations in Turkey – A protester throws a stone during clashes with riot police on June 11.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters run from smoke as they clash with police in Istanbul on June 11.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters take cover behind a barricade as fireworks go off nearby on June 11.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Medics carry Yasin Ayhan, 23, a protester who broke his leg in a raid early Monday, June 10, in Kugulu Park. Riot police doused thousands of protesters in Ankara with tear gas and jets of water for a second straight night.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters sleep at Taksim Square in central Istanbul on June 10. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned protesters who have taken to the streets demanding his resignation that his patience has its limits and compared the unrest with an army attempt six years ago to curb his power.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – A demonstrator is detained by police officers as protests resumed in Kizilay Square in Ankara on Sunday, June 9.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – A demonstrator covers his face with a makeshift gas mask during protests in Kizilay Square in Ankara on June 9.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, and his wife, Emine, wave to supporters upon their arrival in Ankara on June 9. Erdogan told supporters that "even patience has an end" as he went on the offensive against mass protests that have consumed Ankara and Istanbul.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Erdogan addresses supporters from the top of a bus as police stand guard at Esenboga International Airport in Ankara on June 9.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters gather during a demonstration at Taksim Square in Istanbul, on June 9.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – A demonstrator runs toward police during clashes with riot police in Istanbul, on Saturday, June 8.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Demonstrators shout slogans as they gather at Kizilay Square in Ankara, Turkey, on June 8.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Women sing as people gather at Kizilay Square in Ankara on June 8.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters rest in Gezi Park next to Taksim Square during a demonstration in Istanbul on Friday, June 7.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during the opening session of the Ministry for European Union Affairs Conference on June 7 in Istanbul. Erdogan said today his Islamic-rooted government was open to "democratic demands" and hit back at EU criticism of his government's handling of a week of unrest.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Supporters of Erdogan wave the Turkish flag upon the prime minister's arrival in Istanbul, on June 7.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Protestors dance at Gezi Park in Taksim Square on Thursday, June 6.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – A man walks past damaged buses near Taksim Square on Thursday, June 6, in Istanbul, Turkey.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – A mother and her daughter read notes placed by protestors on a destroyed car in Taksim Square on June 6. Thousands of striking union members joined the anti-government protests on June 5, marching in Istanbul and Ankara in a sea of red and white union flags, drumming and yelling for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to resign.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Protestors spend their day at Gezi Park on June 6.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Protestors demonstrate near the office building of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul early on June 6.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – A municipal worker collects garbage set on fire by Turkish protesters in a restaurant district of Ankara on June 5.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – A woman is wheeled away by paramedics during clashes on Kizilay Square in Ankara on Wednesday, June 5.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters confront police forces during riots in a restaurant district of Ankara, on June 5.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Demonstrators run for cover as police use water cannons and tear gas on the crowd in Ankara on June 5.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters gather in Taksim Square as they shout slogans while protesting on Tuesday, June 4, in Istanbul, Turkey.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Riot police fire tear gas at demonstrators in Istanbul on June 4.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Paramedics carry a woman injured during clashes between demonstrators and riot police in Istanbul on June 4.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Turkish police detain a demonstrator during clashes in Istanbul on June 4.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – A protester looks on during clashes with Turkish police outside of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's office, near Taksim Square in Istanbul on Tuesday, June 4.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Demonstrators wave their national flag on June 4, during a protest in Ankara.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters cover their faces with plastic. After chaotic scenes in the streets Monday that continued late into the night and sent tear gas wafting through the air, the situation was relatively calm on Tuesday morning in Istanbul's central Taksim Square, near the park where the movement began.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – A demonstrator takes cover at a road block between Taksim and Besiktas in Istanbul on June 4.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters clash with riot police between Taksim and Besiktas in Istanbul on Monday, June 3.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Protestors pass bricks for building barricades during clashes with riot police in Istanbul on June 3.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Riot policemen unload tear gas during clashes in Istanbul on June 3.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters throw riot police's tear gas back at them in Istanbul on June 3.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Protester wounds are treated during clashes in Istanbul on June 3.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Demonstrators set up road blocks between Taksim and Besiktas. Barricades remain up around the square, and Erdogan's opponents appear determined to continue the demonstrations despite the prime minister's comment on June 3 that he expects the situation to return to normal "within a few days."

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Demonstrations in Turkey – A medical team tends to a protester. The Turkish Medical Association claimed that at least 3,195 people had been injured in clashes on June 1 and June 2. Only 26 of them were in serious or critical condition, it said.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters stand atop a pile of rubble during clashes with Turkish police on Monday, June 3.

Demonstrations in Turkey – Police officers tend to a demonstrator during the violent clashes in Istanbul on June 3.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – A protester waves the Turkish flag from a rooftop at Taksim Square on June 3 as large crowds continue to demonstrate below.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – A protester wears a gas mask as smoke from a burned car fills the air at Taksim Square on June 3.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Despite Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's call for calm on Monday, June 3, protests continued in Istanbul. Protesters carry the Turkish flag and shout against the government in Gezi Park near central Istanbul.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – After protests that lasted until the early morning, a protester sleeps in a damaged and vandalized vehicle in Taksim Square on June 3. Protests showed no sign of letting up on Monday, almost a week after a peaceful sit-in was met with a police crackdown, igniting the biggest anti-government riots the city has seen in a decade.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – A tired protester rests in front of the graffiti-sprayed wall of an information booth at Taksim Square in central Istanbul on June 3.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Turkish protesters clash with riot police near the prime minister's office between Taksim and Besiktas early June 3.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters drive an excavator toward Turkish riot police as they make their way to Erdogan's office on June 3.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – During the clashes, volunteer doctors helped injured protesters in a mosque on June 3.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – A protester is silhouetted by a burning car at Taksim Square during clashes in the early morning of June 3.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – A protester covers his face on June 3 near Erdogan's office in Istanbul.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters clash with riot police in Istanbul on June 3.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters gather in Taksim Square in Istanbul on Sunday, June 2.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Riot police fire tear gas during a protest against Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling AK Party in central Ankara on June 2. Sparked by the events in Istanbul, general anti-government protests have sprung up in Ankara.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Demonstrators hide behind makeshift shields during clashes with Turkish riot police in Ankara on June 2.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Police use a water cannon to disperse protesters outside Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's working office in Istanbul on June 2.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters cling to a police vehicle mounted with a water canon in Istanbul on June 2.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Turkish police detain a protester during demonstrations in Ankara on June 2.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – A protester flashes a victory sign as he takes part in a demonstration in Ankara on Saturday, June 1 in support of the protests in Istanbul against government plans to demolish a park.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters clash with riot police in Istanbul, Turkey, on Saturday, June 1.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters clash with riot police near Gezi Park on June 1. Earlier this week, several dozen activists tried to stage a sit-in at the park, the last bit of green space left in Istanbul's Taksim Square, the city's transit and commercial hub.

Demonstrations in Turkey – Riot police use tear gas in an attempt to disperse the crowd of demonstrators on June 1.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – A man flees the clashes between Turkish protestors and riot police on June 1. On Friday, May 31, riot police stormed the growing camp in Gezi Park with water cannons and tear gas, pushing protesters into surrounding streets and triggering the clashes that have continued for more than 24 hours.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – The clashes damaged surrounding businesses in Istanbul and forced them to close on June 1.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – A man catches his breath behind the line where clashes are taking place on June 1.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – A pair of tourists gasp for air as riot police use tear gas and water cannons the fend off the demonstrators. Turkish security forces allowed small groups of pedestrians to travel through the square.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Protesters buy gas masks from a local shop near the square on June 1.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Riot police fire tear gas into the crowd of protesters overnight on Friday, May 31.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Demonstrators set up barricades and build a fire as they clash with Turkish officers on May 31.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Friends carry an injured protester on May 31. More than a dozen people have been injured in the clashes.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Riot police use tear gas and water cannons to disperse a crowd at Taksim Square on May 31.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – An activist wearing a gas mask is enveloped in a cloud of tear gas on May 31.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – A crowd scatters during clashes on May 31, as one demonstrator throws back the tear gas canister that was launched by riot police.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – Protestors brace themselves as they are fired upon with a water canon by Turkish police forces.

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Demonstrations in Turkey – A large group of demonstrators gather to protest the demolition of Gezi Park in Taksim Square on May 31.

Just Watched

Are protests in Turkey a new Arab Spring?

Around 2 a.m. Wednesday, a fresh wave of tear gas engulfed Gezi Park -- where government officials have said protesters can stay -- as a column of police broke through barricades on a side street nearby. The scene was frenzied with sirens blaring, people running, some even writhing in pain.

The square itself, by then, was relatively calm. Bulldozersand dump trucks rolled in to clear debris, and fire engines put out flames from an excavator that had been set ablaze.

Yet there is little suggestion that authorities will manage to douse the fury of protesters anytime soon.

"We want to be heard, respected ..." a woman in Gezi Park told CNN on Tuesday night, explaining what she and other protesters are asking for. "We're not vandals, we're not criminals."

Erdogan hasn't given any indication his government will alter its approach either. While he announced plans to meet with some protest organizers Wednesday, he also insisted, "We will never allow people to push things to us."

In remarks Tuesday -- which came at a meeting in parliament of his own Justice and Development Party -- the prime minister directly addressed those opposing him on the streets of Turkey's biggest city.

"They say the prime minister is harsh. The prime minister is firm," Erdogan said. "I'm sorry. The prime minister is not going to change."

'The police are against me'

For days, Taksim Square and Gezi Square have been hubs of activity by protesters decrying what they call an increasingly authoritarian government.

Police made a concerted effort Tuesday morning to push them out -- including bringing in armored vehicles to shove away makeshift barriers set up by the demonstrators.

Several protesters linked arms to form a human chain and prevent the police advance. But when police deployed multiple canisters of tear gas, they scattered.

"If you stop throwing rocks, we will not use tear gas," the police told the raucous group over loudspeakers. "We don't want you to get hurt; please obey."

In a game of cat-and-mouse, demonstrators -- some using wooden boards as shields -- would pull back only to return to spots in and around Taksim Square, lobbing Molotov cocktails and firecrackers and flashing "victory" signs.

The situation escalated Tuesday evening when riot police stepped up their dispersal of tear gas canisters toward the square, which prompted tens of thousands to flee.

Many sought refuge in Gezi Park, where Erdogan's government had said it would allow protesters to remain as long as they were peaceful. Police moved along its edges but never entered, but they did set off panic when they fired tear gas canisters into the park's cramped confines multiple times Tuesday evening and again Wednesday morning.

"My eyes were burning, and my nose running and my face was also burning," said CNN iReporter Essam al-Ghalib, a former CNN producer from Saudi Arabia now living in Istanbul. "The wind was blowing ... carrying the noxious gas all through the area as far away as a kilometer."

Protesters didn't stay away from Taksim Square for long. At one point, thousands packed back into it. Some surrounded a large bonfire they fueled with whatever they could find, as deafening bangs -- likely the result of stun grenades -- added to the turmoil.

Deep into the night, the demonstrators dug in for a standoff. And not just in Istanbul. Police in the capital city of Ankara fired tear gas overnight Tuesday toward apparent protesters, as armored vehicles cleared makeshift barricades along the street, video from CNN Turk showed.

The approach Tuesday marked an apparent return to the more heavy-handed tactics Turkish authorities used in the early days of the protests.

Two protesters have been killed since the demonstrations began in late May. One was hit by a car in Istanbul; the other was shot in the head by unknown assailants in Antakya, near the Syrian border. Plus, a police captain died after falling from a bridge, according to the Adana governor's office.

The Turkish Medical Association said that more than 4,300 people were injured in clashes last week, a few dozen of them seriously.

The woman who spoke to CNN on Tuesday night from Gezi Park said that she's seen classmates, work colleagues and others who, like her, had never protested until now. She said many have been angered and energized by the government's response.

Pointing to a mask she had around her neck to protect against tear gas, she added, "This is how a violent person behaves."

Saban Disli, a member of parliament who belongs to Erdogan's party, acknowledged there are some "peaceful demonstrators" who, he claimed, "are being used by terrorist groups." He denied that the prime minister is authoritarian, accusing opposition parties and "the international media" of crafting a false image of Erdogan.

"This is not new Erdogan," Disli told CNN's Christiane Amanpour on Tuesday night, saying the prime minister hasn't changed since he was mayor of Istanbul. "This has never been new Erdogan."

Like Disli, the governor of Istanbul said Tuesday night that protesters from "marginal groups" attacked police and others. In remarks broadcast on Turkish television, Gov. Huseyin Avni Mutlu urged people to leave Taksim Square and vowed the government would take necessary measures until protesters leave.

Speaking a short time later on CNN, Ibrahim Kalin -- chief adviser to Erdogan -- defended the police response, saying they acted like those authorities who faced mass protests in places like Spain, Greece and during the Occupy Wall Street movement in New York and elsewhere.

Kalin acknowledged there are peaceful protesters, reiterating Tuesday night that Erdogan intends to meet with them. He said the government had made "a clear distinction" between them and members of what he called "very marginal" and, in some cases, "very illegal groups that have tried to dominate the scene and occupy Taksim Square."

"Peaceful protesters have been allowed to have their own demonstrations," Kalin said, adding that these people can remain in Gezi Park. "Others have attacked the police with Molotov cocktails, sticks, whatever they can get. They are obviously not the peaceful protesters."

The volatile situation threatens Turkey's economy, including its tourism industry, and raises questions internationally. Bordering Syria, Iraq and Iran, Turkey a NATO member and a key U.S. ally. Yet recent events have caused "concern" in the United States, according to U.S. National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden.

"We are concerned by any attempts to punish individuals for exercising their right to free speech, as well as attempts by any party to provoke violence," Hayden said. "We believe today's events reinforce the need to resolve this situation through dialogue."

Many Istanbul demonstrators who talked to CNN's Arwa Damon were young professionals who described themselves as apolitical but felt compelled to join the protest effort.

Other generations are represented as well, like an older woman who raised her hand and yelled out, "Tayyip, resign!" when she walked past a CNN camera.

Such demands for Erdogan to step down, and criticisms of him as a dictator, are "completely false," according to Kalin.

And whatever one's take on the situation, it is clear the prime minister has never been in a position like this in his and his party's decade in power.

In speeches, Erdogan has said he has no tolerance for what he calls illegal demonstrations, slamming protesters and warning that "even patience has an end."

"All they do is destroy. They attacked public buildings; they burned public buildings. They burned the cars of civilians," he said.

"Let's face off at the ballot box in seven months. If you are saying democracy and freedom, if you are saying rights and freedoms, you cannot achieve that with violence. Only within the laws, you can achieve it."

Still, while few doubt Erdogan was legitimately elected, the unrest highlights the fact that he's not universally loved by Turks, despite the strong performance of the nation's economy during his years as prime minister.

"It is ... a democracy that is seeing deep splits between the one half that has voted for the governing party, and one half that does not," said Soner Cagaptay from the Washington Institute, a think tank focused on the Middle East and the United States. "Despite its economic growth, (Turkey) is, politically, very deeply polarized."